agent: A factor, such as a microorganism, chemical substance, or form of radiation, whose presence, excessive presence, or (in deficiency diseases) relative absence is essential for the occurrence of a disease. age-specific mortality rate: A mortality rate limited to a particular age group. The numerator is the number of deaths in that age group; the denominator is the number of persons in that age group in the population.
Sleeping Pills and Memory Loss. Elderly people have more trouble sleeping than younger folks. Some causes include waking to urinate, pain due to arthritis or other inflammations and lack of exercise. Sleeping pills can help, but they have a dark side. They can cause memory loss.
How they can cause memory loss: These medications (prescription and over-the-counter) inhibit the action of acetylcholine, a chemical messenger that mediates a wide range of functions in the body. In the brain, they inhibit activity in the memory and learning centers, which can lead to memory loss.